Redmi 5 is the successor to the hit Redmi 4 smartphone that was launched last year

Highlights

It will be the successor to last year's Xiaomi Redmi 4

We can expect the phone to start at around Rs. 8,000 in India

The phone is sold in China in four colour variants

Xiaomi has sent out media invites for the launch of the company's first product in India for 2018. With a big '5' logo on the invite, it is almost certain that Xiaomi's latest budget smartphone, Redmi 5, is expected to be unveiled in India on February 14. We can expect the 2GB RAM/ 16GB storage, 3GB RAM/ 32GB storage, and the 4GB RAM/ 32GB storage variants to be sold in India. It is, however, currently not known whether the Redmi 5 Plus will also make an appearance at the event.

As we mentioned, Xiaomi is expected to launch the Redmi 5 in India on February 14. The phone was launched in China in December Black, Gold, Light Blue, and Rose Gold colour variants, with the 2GB RAM variant priced at CNY 799 (roughly Rs. 8,100) and the 3GB RAM variant priced at CNY 899 (roughly Rs. 9,100). Last month, a third 4GB RAM variant was also launched at a price of CNY 1,099 (roughly Rs. 11,200). The Redmi 5 Plus 3GB RAM variant is sold for CNY 999 (roughly Rs. 10,200) in China, and the 4GB RAM variant is sold for CNY 1,299 (roughly Rs. 13,200). Availability and pricing details for India are currently unknown; we can expect confirmation at the launch event.

Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus specifications

The Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus are dual-SIM (Nano) smartphones that run MIUI 9 on top of Android Nougat. The Redmi 5 sports a 5.7-inch HD+ (720x1440 pixels) display, while the Redmi 5 Plus sports a 5.99-inch full-HD+ (1080x2160 pixels) - both with an 18:9 aspect ratio display. The former is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 SoC, coupled with 2GB/ 3GB/ 4GB RAM and 16GB/ 32GB inbuilt storage. The Redmi 5 Plus is powered by a Snapdragon 625 SoC, coupled with 3GB/ 4GB and 32GB/ 64GB of inbuilt storage.

In terms of camera specifications, both phones bear the same 12-megapixel rear sensor with f/2.2 aperture and PDAF. On the front is a 5-megapixel camera with soft-light selfie flash. There is a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.

Connectivity options include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and Micro-USB. Sensors on the phones include ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, gyroscope, and accelerometer. There is a 3300mAh battery under the hood of the Redmi 5, and a 4000mAh battery in the Redmi 5 Plus.